Shedding card game where finishing order determines roles for the next game.
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The classic social-hierarchy card game where players race to empty their hands first. Winners become President and trade cards with the losers, creating a shifting power dynamic across rounds.
Scum (also called President, A**hole, or Landlord) is a trick-shedding card game where your only goal is to get rid of all your cards before everyone else. The first player out earns the top rank (President), the last player stuck with cards gets the bottom rank (Scum), and everyone else lands somewhere in between.
What makes the game memorable is the social hierarchy that carries between rounds. The President gets to trade away bad cards to the Scum — and the Scum has to hand over their best cards in return. This means the rich get richer... unless the Scum plays smart and stages a comeback.
You need: A standard 52-card deck (jokers optional), 4-8 players, and about 20-45 minutes.
First-timer tip: Focus on getting rid of your low cards early. Holding a 2 (the highest single card) gives you a guaranteed way to seize control late in the round.
Shuffle a standard 52-card deck (add jokers as wild cards if your group prefers)
Deal all cards as evenly as possible to all players — some players may have one extra card, which is fine
Card ranking (low to high): 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A, 2
First round: the player holding the 3 of Clubs leads first
Later rounds: the President leads first (see Social Rules below)
Play proceeds clockwise. On your turn you must either play or pass:
Leading a trick: Play any single card, pair, triple, or four-of-a-kind face up to the center
Following: You must play the same number of cards at an equal or higher rank
Passing: If you cannot or choose not to play, you pass — you can still play on future turns in the same trick
Clearing the pile: When all other players pass consecutively back to the last person who played, that player wins the trick, clears the pile, and leads the next one
Special cards (common house rules):
2: The highest single card; beats everything except jokers
Jokers: Beat all cards; instantly clear the pile when played (optional)
Four-of-a-kind / Bomb: Playing four of the same rank instantly clears the pile — that player leads next
Tip: A "bomb" (four-of-a-kind) is a powerful reset. Save it for when you need to seize the lead at a critical moment.
Players finish in the order they empty their hands:
| Finish Order | Title | Alternative Names |
|---|---|---|
| 1st out | President | King, Boss, Landlord |
| 2nd out | Vice President | Prince, Vice |
| ... | Citizen / Neutral | Middle, Commoner |
| 2nd to last | Vice Scum | Vice Bum, Secretary |
| Last out | Scum | Bum, A**hole, Peasant |
The exact titles depend on player count; with 4 players you typically have President, Vice President, Vice Scum, and Scum
With odd player counts, the middle player is a Citizen (neutral rank)
Before dealing the next round, the hierarchy enforces a card trade:
Scum gives their 2 best cards to the President
President gives any 2 cards of their choice to the Scum (usually their worst)
Vice Scum gives their 1 best card to the Vice President
Vice President gives any 1 card to the Vice Scum
Citizens do not trade
After trading, the President leads the first trick of the new round.
Why this matters: The President starts each round with a stacked hand, but a skilled Scum can sometimes claw back by reading the table and timing big plays.
Shed low cards early. Play your 3s, 4s, and 5s at the first opportunity — they are nearly impossible to play late
Control with high cards. Hold your Aces and 2s to guarantee you can win tricks when it matters
Pairs and triples are gold. Leading with pairs or triples limits who can follow, giving you more control
Watch the card count. Track how many cards each opponent holds — pressure players who are close to going out by forcing them to pass
Don't waste bombs. A four-of-a-kind clears the pile and hands you the lead. Save it for when you need to escape, not just to show off
Play the social game. In the trade phase, the President should give the Scum cards that are hard to use (isolated low cards with no matching pairs)
Scum is a placement-only game with no point scoring. Each round produces a strict finish order:
1st out = 1st place (President)
2nd out = 2nd place (Vice President)
Continue through all players
Last out = last place (Scum)
There are no ties — players always finish in sequence since the game continues until exactly one player holds cards.
Most groups play multiple rounds in a session. Each round produces a fresh set of placements. You can track rankings across rounds using:
Average placement across all rounds
Count of President finishes (1st place count)
Points system (e.g., 1st = 4 pts, 2nd = 3 pts, etc.) — your group can decide the scale
Draws are not possible in Scum. The game continues until one player remains with cards, producing a unique placement for every player every round.
For each round of Scum, record:
All players in the session
Final placement for each player (1st through last)
One entry per round — if you play 5 rounds in a session, log 5 separate matches
No scores needed — Scum is placement-only, so just drag players into finish order
Player count matters — a 1st-place finish in an 8-player game is more impressive than in a 4-player game, and the ranking system accounts for this
Quick-log shortcut: If your group always plays the same set of rounds, you can batch-enter them at the end of the night. Just jot down each round's finish order on paper or phone as you go.
Individual card scores (there are none)
Which cards were traded (fun to remember, but not tracked)
House rules variations (these don't affect placement recording)